Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says that even though the heath care bill was never read, it passed through the Ways and Means Committee. Ryan says there was not nearly enough time to read the bill in its entirety, nor was the committee able to conclude how much it would cost (0:15).
By Annie Berman-Talk Radio News Service
During a hearing with the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday, House Republicans expressed major qualms over how the formation of the upcoming health reform legislation has progressed.
“I’m very concerned and I think what many of us are struggling with today is that we don’t have the facts on this bill,” said Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) “We have been told that this will likely be our only hearing and we are talking about entirely changing the framework of healthcare in America with no debate of any substance.”
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the Committee’s ranking member, stated that in order for Congress to act responsibly, the members would need to know more vital facts concerning the bill.
“We need to know the price tag of this bill if we are going to do our jobs: write a bill our country can afford that will guarantee every American has access to affordable, quality health care.”
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) blasted the new health care plan for resembling the current Medicaid program, stating that he believes that most people on Medicaid are unhappy with the program.
“I have a lot of citizens in my district who are on Medicaid, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why we would want to make more people eligible for Medicaid…I don’t have anyone that I know of that likes being on Medicaid.” Nunes said.
The House Ways and Means Committee is expected to remain in session past 5:30 Wednesday evening. Witnesses representing insurance companies are slated to testify at the hearing’s end.
The Washington Bureau is covering The House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on “Preventing Stimulus Waste and Fraud: Who Are the Watchdogs?”, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) weekly press conference, and the Save Darfur Coalition.
Talk Radio News is also covering the House Ways and Means Committee Oversight Subcommittee hearing on the “Troubled Asset Relief Program: Oversight of Federal Borrowing and the Use of Federal Monies,” the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce (USMCOC) 13th Annual U.S.-Mexico Border Issues conference, and the Center for American Progress (CAP) discussion on “Sustainable Security in Afghanistan Requires Sweeping U.S. Policy Overhaul.”
